Steam boiler



Dec. 19, 1933. o. E. BARTHIEL ET AL STEAM BOILER Filed Sept. 11. 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet l a NVENTORS O//uerZme/ i?? J; %wo

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' ATTORNEYS Dec. 19, 1933. o. E. BARTHEL ET AL STEAM' BOILER Filed Sept. ll. 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 u N m m Q O//UGrEQr BY power;

ATToRNEYs Patented Dec. 19, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STEAM BOILER Application September 11, 1931 Serial No. 562369 4 Claims. (o 122-149 i The present invention pertains to a -novel boilerfor the generation of steam from water, preferably by means of an oil or gas burner.

-The principal object of the invention is to 5 provide a device of this character wheren the heat in the gases ejected from the burner is efliciently absorbedby'the water for converting the latter tosteam. Accordingly, the boiler consists essentially of a set' of flue tubes immersed in the water and positioned to take the hot gases directly from the burner, in conjunction with the fire tubes which further circulate the .gases through the water and conduct them to an exhaust line.

Anotherobject of 'the invention is to provide an auxiliary steam generating system for furnishing a small quantity of steam without heating the entiremass of water to boiling or for furnishing a small `quantity of steam while the mass is being raised to boiling. This system consists of auxiliary pipes mounted in the fire tubes, with one .end higher than the other, and open tovthe water space at both ends. The water in these pipes is heated to boiling almost instantly by contact with the flame, and the steam .therefrom is thrown off into the circulation system. V

The invention is fully disclosed by way of example in the following description and in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of theboileryy Fig. 2 is a plan section thereof;

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section; r ig. 4 is alongitudinal Verticalsection of a modified Construction, and

Fig. 5 is a plan section thereof.

Reference to these views will-now be had by use of like characters which are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout.

In Figure 1 is illustrated a boiler shell 1 of sheet metal or other constructionmounted on supports 2 and enclosed in suitable insulating material 3. A vertical-wall 4 extends slightly such a manner as to form a gas chamber-6 with said shell. v

In the upper part of the partition 4 are supported a number of flue tubes 7 which have their forwardends opening as at 8 through the partition and their rear ends interconnected byra header 9 as shownmore clearly in Figure 2. A firetbox 10 extends through the forward wall 5 and communicates with ,the open end of the ?central tube 7, while the forward ends of the rearward of the forward wall 5 of the shell in` remaining tubes are'open to the gas chamber 6, as shown more clearly in Figure 2. A flame is injected into the fire box by an oil burner 11. In the open end of the central tube is supported a brick or other refractory article 12 adapted to become incandescent in order to ignite those particles of oil that may escape the burner without being ignited.

A series of fire tubes 13 are supported beneath the tube 7, lengthwise of the boiler, and have their forward ends open to the chamber, 6 to receive gas therefrom. Another set of fire tubes 14 is supported beneath the tubes 13 with their forward ends also open to the chamber 6. In the chamber, however, is mounted a horizontal partition 15 between the two sets of tubes to prevent direct communication between them at their forward ends as willpresently appear. The rear ends of both sets of tubes are in communication through a chamber 16 built in the i rear wall of the insulation 3. Thus, the gases discharged from the tube 7 into the chamber ,6 are carried rearwardly through the tubes 13 and then forward through the tube 14, returning to the lower division of the chamber &which so is connected to an exhaust pipe 17. i

The shell 1 is filled with water behind the partition 4 to a level which, submerges the tubes 7. The water is obviouslyheated by the hot burner gases passing through the tubes 7, 13 and 14, and the steam is carried off through a main steam pipe 18 in the top of the boiler. For the rapid generation of a comparatively small quantity of steam before the mass of water reaches the boiling point, water tubes 19 are provided in the tubes 7 and are mounted to extend from the upper wall of each tube near the forward end thereof through the bottom of the header, communicating with the water space at both ends. The upper end of each tube 19 is provided with an outlet collar 20 exteriorlyof the tube 7 and extending upwardly to a point near the water level in the Water space as shown in Ffigure 1. An auxiliary steam pipe 21 extends through the top of the shell and is formed at its lower end with a hood 22 extending over the several outlets 20 asmay be seen in Figure 3. It Will be evident that the water disposed in the tubes 19 will be attacked by the fiame and vaporized before the main mass of water is brought to boiling, and the steam issuing from the tubes 19 will pass into the auxiliary pipe 21. Condensation collecting on the pipe 21 is prevented by the hood 22 from fiowing into the tubes` 19.

By means of this auxiliary system, it is possible to generate a desired small quantity of steam' without heating the entire mass of water to boiling. Furthermore, it provides a small quantity of steam which is available in about three minutes while the larger mass of water requires about nine minutes in being raised to boiling temperature. The pipes 19 also function as a circulator for the main mass of water in that they deliver heated water to the surface and thus cause the descent of colder water to a lower level.

An air preheating system for the burner 11 is built around 'the fire box 10 and includes a sheet metal wall 23 erected over the front end of the boiler, enclosing also the exhaust pipe 17 as shown in Figure 1. Another plate 24 is mounted in front of the wall 23 and forms a space 25 therewith. This space is open at its lower end as indicated by the numeral 26, while the upper end of this space is bridged by a plate 27. The upper end of the space also communicates with a pipe 28 which leads to the air inlet of the burner. The wall 23 is formed with ports 29 and 30 respectively above and below the fire box and, consequently, air is drawn through the ports 29, circulated around the fire box and discharged through the ports 30 to 'the pipe 28 in a heated condition. Similarly, air is raised and heated through the space 25 and then d livered for the most part to the pipe 28, so that the burner 11 is supplied with preheated air which results in a more efiicient operation than cold air.

Water is supplied to the water space through a feed pipe 31 at the bottom thereof and is returned after condensation through a return line 32. A blow-off tube 33 and a clean-out pipe 34 are provided respectively at the bottom of the water space and the rear of the chamber 16. A line 35 extending from the steam space through the top of the boiler may be connected to a steam gauge in the usual manner.

It will be seen in both Figures 1 and 4 that 'the flue tubes are positionedcomparatively high in thewater space or in fact close to the water level. Thus, the upper strata of water receive the greatest heat directly from the flue tubes, in addition to their natural tendency to become warmer, with the result that steam is generated at the surface of the water very soon after the boiler is started. The illustrated position of the burner, namely in line with one of the fiue tubes, is the preferred position, inasmuch as the flame is injected directly into at leastone of the fiue tubes. I In the modification shown in Figures 4 and 5, the hot gases are caused to make their first forward or return travel through the fire tubes rather than through the flue tubes. Accordingly, all the fiue tubes 40 have their forward 'ends in communication with the fire box 41. At the rear ends, they communicate with a header 42 which in turn is connected to the rear ends of the upper set of fire tubes 43. The forward ends of these tubes are in communication through a chamber 44 with the forward ends of another set of tubes 45, the latter discharging into a rear chamber 45 which in turn is connected to the exhaust line 47. 'The Volume of the set 45 should obviously be at least as great as that of the set 43 in order to prevent choking in set 43.

Figures 4 and 5 also illustrate a modified auxiliary generating system consisting merely of short tubes 48 extending vertically through the tubes 40 and open to the water space at both ends. The upper ends are brought in close' proximity to the water level, as shown in Fig-* ure 4, in order not to unduly retard the escape of steam therefrom. A main steam outlet pipe 50 extends from the steam space for carrying off the steam generated in the tubes 48 or at the surface of the main mass of water. A hood 51 is placed over the pipes 48 and leads into an auxiliary steam outlet pipe 52 which in turn may be connected to the pipe 50.

Although specific embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be understood that various alterations in the details of Construction may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as indicated by the appended claims.

What we claim is:--

1. A steam boiler comprising a shell divided to form a gas chamber at the forward end of said shen and a water space behind said chamber, horizontal flue tubes in said space and connected together at their rear ends, a fire box in said chamber and communicating with one of said tubes, a burner in said box and directed toward said fiue tube, said box being of such length that gases issuing from said burner are ignited before entering said flue tube, the remaining tubes communicating with said chamber at their forward ends, a series of fire tubes below said flue tubes and having their forward ends in communication with said chamber, another series of fire tubes having their rear ends connected to the rear ends of the first series and their forward ends connected to said chamber, a partition in said chamber between said series, a steam outlet from said water space, and auxiliary heating tubes in said fiue tubes and open to said space at the top and bottom of' said flue tubes.

2. A steam boiler comprising a shell divided to form a gas chamber at the forward end of 'said shell and a water space behind said chamber, horizontal fiue tubes in said space and connected together at their rear ends, a fire box in said chamber and communicating with one of said tubes, a burner in said box and directed toward said flue tube, said box being of such length that gases issuing from said burner are ignited before entering said flue tube, the remaining tubes communicating with said chamber at their forward ends, a series of fire tubes below said flue tubes and having their forward ends in communication with said chamber, another series of fire tubes having their 'rear ends connected to the rear ends of the first series and their forward ends connected to said chamber, a partition in said chamber between said series, and a steam outlet from said water space, said flue tubes being of larger diameter and less numerous than said boiler tubes.

3. A steam boiler comprising a shell divided to form a gas chamber at the forward end of said shell and a water space behind said chamber, horizontal ue tubes in said space and connected together at their rear ends, a fire box in said chamber and communicating with one of said tubes, a burner in said, box and directed toward said flue tube, said box being of such length that gases issuing from said burner are ignited before entering said fiue tube, the remaining tubes communicating with said chamber at their forward ends, a series of fire tubes below said flue tubes and having their forward endsin communication with said chamber, and

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said flue tube, said box being of such length that' gases issuing from said burner are ignited before' entering said flue tube, the remaining tubes communicating with said chamber at their forward ends, a series of fire tubes below said flue tubes and having their forward ends in communication with said chamber, outlet means extending from the rear ends of said fire tubes, and auxiliary heating tubes in said flue tubes and open to said space at the top and bottom of said fiue r tubes.

OLIVER E. BARTHEL. JOHN J. POWER. 

